Q&A: Shaun Hollamby, AmD Technik

Q:Shaun, few people would have seen a VW joining the grid for the 2010 season, so the first question would have to be how and why?

Shaun Hollamby:Well, AmD are a Volkswagen/Audi Group [VAG] tuning company so if we are going to go touring car racing, we have to do it in a VAG car. What is the point of going and doing something that someone has already done, so when we saw the Golf, it ticked all the boxes of being something new and something which ticked the VAG box. It's also grabbed peoples attention already.

Q:Tell us a bit about the history behind the car?

Shaun Hollamby:The car has raced in the Baltic Touring Car Championship for a couple of seasons although it didn't race last season. It was built by the Volkswagen importer for Estonia and it is build to S2000 rules. There are certain waivers that have been put in place by TOCA to run it as a three-door model rather than a five-door model but apart from that, it is S2000 rules. We have a check-out coming up with Peter Riches from TOCA and everything should be good.

Q:You've posted on some forums on the internet that we can expect to see changes in how the car appears before it hits the track…

Shaun Hollamby:The car is very well made and I am very pleased with the workings of it, but the aero package on it isn't quite how I'd like to have the car looking. We have an aero package which is being developed with a team that has been running in the UAE and their body kit looks fantastic. It gives the car a new lease of life and as well as looking good, the car has to perform well and it has a good splitter package at the front which gives you more downforce and grip with a front-wheel drive car.

Q:You're best known from the VW Cup and the team has run in the Sportmaxx Cup in recent years so how big is this step for the team?

Shaun Hollamby:It's a huge challenge. The BTCC is the peak of British motorsport and very high up there internationally as well. The BTCC has massive history and for any team or driver coming in, it is a massive challenge. That is what makes it so exciting and I'd hope that by the end of the year, we can look back and say we did a good professional job and were a credit to the series.

Q:What are the aims results wise?

Shaun Hollamby:I would think we are in the similar position to most privateers in that scoring a point in the BTCC equates to a win. If we can start off in the lower echelons of the mid-field, that is where I would expect to be and then we can move on from there. The beauty of touring cars is that you can have the odd result come your way on a busy weekend and that is what we are aiming for in the first year.

Q:You are specialists with VW machinery, but are there any concerns that – in the BTCC at least – this is an unproven package?

Shaun Hollamby:Absolutely, there are always concerns. Until I actually do the first test in the car, I don't know how fast it will be and I am in the same boat as everyone else. But that is half the fun really and if we were just taking a car that someone else had developed, then some of the fun for me would disappear. I am confident in the figures we have from other series' when it has run and what it has raced against that it will be competitive. It won't be the fastest car out there, but it will definitely be in the mid-field.

Q:You said Simon Shaw could race the car if he can get the budget together. How would that work?

Shaun Hollamby:We'd split the race seat between us but it depends what Simon can run. I got to know him when I was racing in Sportmaxx in 2008 and then I got him involved in racing out SEAT last year when he did a very good job and won the series. I'd like to give him a chance to move up as it is very difficult for a young guy to raise the money to enter touring cars. We don't have the biggest budget in the world but if he can come along and get the budget to do three races, then that is what we are looking at.

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